In 1977, Amtrak determined it could not maintain the decaying Allapattah terminal, which also posed logistical problems for passenger coach maintenance, and moved the Miami terminus to its current location at the Seaboard passenger coach yards near Hialeah, north of Miami Central Station.[8] The new Miami Central Station is located six miles south of the current Amtrak station, on a mile-long spur that branches south off of the beginning of the Seaboard (now CSX) Homestead extension near the Miami River.

Southbound Tri-Rail service terminated at the modern-day Hialeah Market in 1989. A new station opened in April 1998 at the present site of Central Station. It was the southern terminus of the Tri-Rail system until September 12, 2011, when Tri-Rail service to the site was suspended for approximately three years to facilitate construction of the new station. Hialeah Market became the temporary southern terminus for Tri-Rail with shuttle buses taking passengers between the Hialeah Market station and Miami International Airport and two trains per day stopping further north at the Metrorail transfer station with accompanying shuttle buses.[9]

The United States Department of Transportation designated the Miami Intermodal Center as a "Project of National Significance," earning it special loan rates. The first of these loans was made in 2000 for $269 million. Another loan of $270 million was approved in 2007.

The first component of the MIC Program to be completed was major roadway improvements, including a reconfigured Le Jeune Road, in May 2008. The Roadways Program was developed to provide direct, enhanced connections to and from nearby expressways and the local roads serving the MIC and airport. The second component was the Rental Car Center (RCC), a 3,400,000-square-foot (320,000 m2) "rental car shopping mall" that provides customers arriving through Miami International Airport (MIA) convenient access to participating rental car companies. The MIA MoverAPM, a dual-track, light-rail, 1.25-mile elevated people mover system connecting MIA to the RCC and future Miami Central Station, was completed in September 2011.

The final component of the program, the Miami Central Station, is Miami-Dade County's first all-inclusive ground transportation hub and is currently under construction. The completed program will cost $2 billion and is expected to serve approximately 150,000 commuters and travelers each day.

Phase I of the station, which involved the construction of the MIA Mover, Metrobus terminal, and Metrorail concourse, opened on July 28, 2012. Phase II, which entails construction of the Tri-Rail and Amtrak concourse, is scheduled for completion in spring 2015 for Tri-Rail and summer 2016 for Amtrak.[7][2] The intermodal rail station, a part of the greater Miami Intermodal Center at MIA, is expected to be among the busiest passenger stations in Florida and the Southeast upon completion.

Construction of the facility began on May 18, 2011, but the ceremonial groundbreaking did not take place until September 27.[10]

Tri-Rail's Miami Airport Station temporarily closed on September 12, 2011 to facilitate construction of the Miami Central Station. The station is expected to be closed for a period of approximately two years, during which time it will be rebuilt and connected to the airport via an escalator and people mover.

During this two-year period, the southern terminus of rail service will be the Hialeah Market Station, where bus transportation will be provided to and from the Miami International Airport through this station. Trailers have been installed to house a ticket agent and restroom facilities. Additional lighting has been installed and approximately 60 additional parking spaces have been striped. There will be 24-hour security at the station.

Two northbound trains, P638 and P642, will originate from the Metrorail Transfer Station. Two southbound trains, P631 and P635 will terminate at the Metrorail Transfer Station. Passengers will be bused to and from the Hialeah Market Station and the Miami International Airport for these trains.

By closing the Miami Airport Station, the construction time of the MIC will be reduced by approximately 21 months and will result in taxpayers saving approximately $10 million in construction costs. The impact to passengers should be less than 10 minutes in extended travel time to the airport.

The Metrorail and Metrobus stations are combined in a single structure designed by Perez & Perez Architects Planners Inc; a Miami local firm. The stainless steel and aluminum canopy was design through modern digital fabrication techniques and was manufactured by Zahner in Kansas City. The structure was shipped in modular sections and assembled on site in an eight month time-frame.The new Metrorail and Metrobus station opened July 28, 2012.

The other platforms servicing Amtrak and Tri-Rail were designed by AECOM and are still pending completion and are anticipated to open in 2014.

The Rental Car Center is a multi-level consolidated rental car facility that consolidates the operations of 16 rental car companies in one location. Opened on July 13, 2010, the RCC is home to 6,500 rental cars and is projected to serve 28,000 customers daily. The Quick Turnaround Area where vehicles are washed and refueled includes 120 gas pump positions and 42 car wash bays on three vehicle storage levels. The multi-level fueling system is the first of its kind in the United States.

The consolidation has cut the combined rental car bus fleet from 120 buses to 60. The MIA Mover entirely replaced the shuttle bus service in September 2011. The elimination of the rental car bus fleet has reduced gas emissions at the airport by 30 percent.[11]